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Larks, Masai Mara, Kenya (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter AdrianFisher
- Start date
AdrianFisher
Well-known member
Thanks for this. Larks don't seem to excite subscribers to this forum, do they?
It's just that they're so difficult and variable
I don't think it's a question of 'excitement'. It's that the bird is usually fairly obvious on looks or distribution, so once an ID has been made or agreed, then others will only reply if they think it's a mistake.
For example, in the Mara you have only five possibilities according to 'Birds of East Africa' - Rufous-naped, Flappet, Foxy, Singing Bush and Red-capped.
Despite several visits to the area, I have only seen Flappet a couple of times and Foxy once. I have never seen Singing Bush. Red-capped is quite distinctive. Foxy is the problem versus Rufous-naped (perhaps someone who has seen Foxy more than I have would have less of a problem). But your Singing Bush looks just like the book illustration and not like the others. (Actually, I am not sure that the map in BofEA shows Singing Bush in the Mara, but anyway your bird looks right to me, although other views would also be welcome.)
So, in this I disagree with the Fern while also agreeing. Because of light, weather and age, Rufous-naped can indeed have varied appearance. And I think occasional and short-term visitors such as myself are always hoping to find something that is not-Rufous-naped and we search for features that support this in birds we see. Hence the difficulty. But we are usually wrong.
lockbreeze926
Well-known member
I'd agree that larks (and pipits) don't provoke a lot of excitement. They are boring IMO and rank alongside gulls for dullness, although maybe not quite as much for questionable speciation.
That said, here's a Thick-billed/Large-billed/Southern / Otherwise Split / Lark to counter my negative post. In RSA, Western Cape, 9/2014.
That said, here's a Thick-billed/Large-billed/Southern / Otherwise Split / Lark to counter my negative post. In RSA, Western Cape, 9/2014.
Attachments
I think this is a problem with not getting updated. Check this page and note the isolated population in Masai Mara:
Melodious Lark - BirdForum Opus
www.birdforum.net
Apologies. I missed this, which is shown in the new second edition of Birds of East Africa. On the other hand, looking again, I don't think the map for Singing Bush Lark quite includes the Mara, although it gets near.I think this is a problem with not getting updated. Check this page and note the isolated population in Masai Mara:
NielsMelodious Lark - BirdForum Opus
This link, which is found as a reference in the opus page, has a map showing where in the Mara regions Melodious Lark should be found (at least to the knowledge at the time of writing). If you say the bushlark is absent, wouldn't that be important for the OP?
link.springer.com
Niels
Disjunct resident population of Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana discovered in East Africa - Journal of Ornithology
We describe the discovery of a previously unknown population of Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana from northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, some 2000 km north of what was previously thought to be its northern limit in central Zimbabwe. The identification of this population as M. cheniana is based...
link.springer.com
Niels
The Bush Lark looked OK to me, although I've never seen it; and no-one else has challenged it.This link, which is found as a reference in the opus page, has a map showing where in the Mara regions Melodious Lark should be found (at least to the knowledge at the time of writing). If you say the bushlark is absent, wouldn't that be important for the OP?
Disjunct resident population of Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana discovered in East Africa - Journal of Ornithology
We describe the discovery of a previously unknown population of Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana from northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, some 2000 km north of what was previously thought to be its northern limit in central Zimbabwe. The identification of this population as M. cheniana is based...
Niels
I may be wrong about the where Mara should be on the BofEA map for Singing Bush Lark. But anyway it's very close. So, I was just making a casual point about mapping and distribution.
Leaving that aside, Kenya seems to be having weird weather both east and west, so it might not be so surprising to find birds a little out of their (presumed) range.
